Some gems we've met this year...

This has been a whirlwind year for the Sweetback Sisters. We've traveled to west to California, Colorado, Michigan and south to Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina. We've eaten in a lot of gas stations, slept on a lot of couches, and met a lot of amazing musicians along the way. Here's a sampling of music from a few of the folks we have encountered so far in 2010. Enjoy!

We met Eddie Stubbs (in Nashville) and David McLaughlin (in West Virginia) of the Johnson Mountain Boys:



We met Laurie Lewis and Tom Rozum in California:



We chilled with the Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars at the Green River Festival in Greenfield, MA. And then they proceeded to kick some serious ass on stage:



We spent a lot of time with various members of Lake Street Dive, especially our lovely sister Bridget Kearney:



We didn't actually meet him, but Robert Plant did make a brief appearance at our Music City Roots show in Nashville. Someone told us that she overheard him saying he liked us. But he might have been talking about the biscuits...:



OK. That's just a start. More awesome videos to come.

-Emily

Jesse Polka

This is totally going into the Sweetback Sisters' repertoire. You have to watch both videos. They really are the same tune!

Exhibit A:



Exhibit B:


-Emily

New River Train

After perusing dozens of youtube videos of various individuals performing "New River Train" I pronounce this guy the winner:



Andy Griffith gets an honorable mention:



Tony, Doc, Norman, et al... better luck next time.

Why am I watching hours worth of videos of this song? I'm glad you asked. I spent the week in Eggleston, VA recording an album at JoeBass's house, which is right next to the New River and its associated train. We occasionally had to wait for it to pass by before starting a take. I didn't record this song, but I did record two others that mention the New River Train (aka, the C&O Railway.)

-Jesse

Censorship

I wrote an awesome poem today,
At least I saw it that-a-way.

My Girlfriend thought it was too rude,
The subject matter base and crude.

It was coarse, I will concede,
Perhaps a bit too much to read,

For persons of a tender age,
So you won't find it on this page,

My private thoughts, however witty,
Concerning the town of Johnson City.

-Jesse

High Plains Drifters

Colorado's flat and dry, with mountains in the western sky.
Kansas is just flat and hot with no tall features I can spot.
Next we cross into Missouri. After that it all gets blurry.
Iowa? Then Illinois? That whole Midwestern ball of joy.

-Jesse

the Primitive Quartet

For a moment I thought these guys had traveled back in time 30 years and stolen our arrangement of stormy waters, but it turns out it's a different song.

Great name too. I'm assuming they're Primitive Baptists, but maybe they 're just really old school guys?
-Jesse

Very Exciting News!

We just spent a couple of days in Philly cutting a single at Turtle Studios. Signature Sounds says they'll press it on 7" vinyl when it's done, (do we have the coolest record label or what?) but you 21st century types can also download it from the internets.

Just give us a few days to finish mixing and mastering, and then a month or so to get it pressed.

Let's see... oh yeah, the songs:
1)Be Back Home Tonight
2)I'll Show You Things You've Never Known

By the way I can't recommend Turtle highly enough, they did a great job, and it also happens to be Ross's main stomping ground, so if you need scorching electric guitar on your record (and trust me, you do) it won't be far away.

-Jesse

Summer Festivals!

I feel very lucky to have been a part of the summer music festival circuit these past few years. Every one of these festivals feels like part dance party, part family reunion, part resort vacation, and part luxurious concert. One of the best parts is that we get a chance to discover and listen to new bands from around the country. I think the group favorite so far is Los Fabulocos from California. None of the YouTube videos really do them justice. But here's one anyway:



So far this summer we've been to the Noreast'r Festival in Michigan, the Live Oak Festival in California and the Huntington Summer Arts Festival in New York. Up next, the Central PA Festival of the Arts in State College, PA; Grey Fox in Oak Hill, NY and Green River in Greenfield, MA. Does the fun never end?

Here's a picture that our friend Beth took of us backstage at Live Oak:

And one from onstage, too:


I hope we see YOU at one of these festivals soon.

xoxo
Emily

Couplets

I was born on Skyles Creek,
With one pale white and one rosy cheek.

* * *

Ten toes is just 4 too many,
If I had six that would be plenty.

* * *

In the City of Virginia Beach,
Everybody's hair is bleached.

* * *

Living in a suitcase, eating at the bar,
Picking and a-grinning, riding in the car.

* * *

Crazy people are dating my friend,
not one or two, but a whole slew of them.

* * *

Some of these were meant to be parts of longer rhymes or songs, but I think they're better off on their own.
-Jesse

Feeling Worse (Better?)

I know it's the same song as the last one, but the video quality's way better.
Thanks Buck!
-Jesse

Regions Bank

Regions Bank's a bunch of scammers
Two-bit frauds and cheap flim-flammers
Ripped me off at every turn it
Seems they don't hold cash they burn it.

-Jesse

the Red Stick Ramblers

We were very excited to learn that we're going to be playing with these guys at the Green River Festival, since their two albums pretty much take turns in our cd player these days.

one of my favorites:


-Jesse

Sometimes I Feel Different

Look at you with your fancy shoes,
Your tailored clothes, and your fresh looking 'do.

Look at me!
I live in a tree!
In a t-shirt that hangs to the top of my knees!


-Jesse

Listen At Your Own Risk

I heard this on the radio a few days ago, and went and looked it up on Youtube. If you listen to this you will spend the next week walking around bobbing your head and singing "Living on Tulsa Time... Living on Tulsa time... da dad dum de da dum de da da da... Living on Tulsa Time"

You've been warned, my bandmates weren't so fortunate.
-Jesse

Asheville on the Eve of May

I don't have a dirty mind,
the girls are there, and I ain't blind,
but lusting is a mortal crime,
so I'm not even looking.

The girls today are out in force,
in halter tops and denim shorts,
But most of them have men of course,
And I'm not even looking.

In Asheville on the eve of May,
it seems like summer's here to stay,
and love is in the air today,
I'm sure there'll some takers.

-Jesse